Witkoff and Kushner arrive in Kyiv for talks with Zelensky after Putin meeting
"We are all on the same side. We all want the war to end," Zelensky said following the conclusion of the first round of negotiations
Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Kyiv for their first talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on September 6.
Witkoff and Kushner said at the conclusion of the first round of talks that the discussions were encouraging and that they looked forward to making more progress.
The meeting came only one day after the pair held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, which they described as substantive.
Further discussions are expected with the inclusion of European national security advisors from France, Germany, and the UK.
Zelensky stressed the need for security guarantees and a "dignified" post-war peace, while the US focused on Ukraine’s immediate winter needs.
Kushner relayed US President Donald Trump's wish for Ukraine "to build themselves into the great nation that they have the fullest potential to achieve."
"We are all on the same side. We all want the war to end," Zelensky said.
Russia and Ukraine have "refrained" from striking each other's capitals to ensure the safety of US negotiators.
Despite the "refrain," Russia rejected a wider ceasefire and struck multiple targets across Ukraine early in the morning of September 6, sparking fires in Kyiv Oblast.